Method and apparatus for locating communities over an ad-hoc mesh network

ABSTRACT

An approach is provided for locating communities over an ad-hoc mesh network. Community identifiers are used to locate communities and community members over an ad-hoc mesh network. The community identifiers are also associated with keys to authenticate members of the community and to protect the privacy and anonymity of information exchanged between the members.

BACKGROUND

Wireless (e.g., cellular) service providers and device manufacturers are continually challenged to deliver value and convenience to consumers by, for example, providing compelling network services, applications, and content. One area of development is the use of communication networks and devices to automatically determine information and context about the local environment. However, technical challenges relating to power consumption, signaling overhead, security, and privacy have hindered such development.

SOME EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Therefore, there is a need for an approach for efficiently organizing and locating members of a community for sharing information and associated context in a local environment.

According to one embodiment, a method comprises identifying a community of a plurality of wireless nodes using a community identifier corresponding to the community. The community is active among one or more neighboring wireless nodes over an ad-hoc mesh network. The method also comprises updating a list of active communities based on the identification.

According to another embodiment, an apparatus comprising at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to identify a community of a plurality of wireless nodes using a community identifier corresponding to the community. The community is active among one or more neighboring wireless nodes over an ad-hoc mesh network. The apparatus is also caused to update a list of active communities based on the identification.

According to one embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to identify a community of a plurality of wireless nodes using a community identifier corresponding to the community. The community is active among one or more neighboring wireless nodes over an ad-hoc mesh network. The apparatus is also caused to update a list of active communities based on the identification.

According to another embodiment, an apparatus comprises means for identifying a community of a plurality of wireless nodes using a community identifier corresponding to the community. The community is active among one or more neighboring wireless nodes over an ad-hoc mesh network. The apparatus also comprises means for updating a list of active communities based on the identification.

According to another embodiment, a method comprises monitoring for one or more messages related to a community over a predetermined period of time. The method also comprises designating the community as an inactive community if no messages related to the community are observed during the predetermined period of time. The method further comprises updating the list of active communities based on the designation.

According to another embodiment, an apparatus comprising at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to monitor for one or more messages related to a community over a predetermined period of time. The apparatus is also caused to designate the community as an inactive community if no messages related to the community are observed during the predetermined period of time. The apparatus is further caused to update the list of active communities based on the designation.

According to another embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to monitor for one or more messages related to a community over a predetermined period of time. The apparatus is also caused to designate the community as an inactive community if no messages related to the community are observed during the predetermined period of time. The apparatus is further caused to update the list of active communities based on the designation.

According to another embodiment, an apparatus comprises means for monitoring for one or more messages related to a community over a predetermined period of time. The apparatus also comprises means for designating the community as an inactive community if no messages related to the community are observed during the predetermined period of time. The apparatus further comprises means for updating the list of active communities based on the designation.

According to another embodiment, a method comprises receiving input requesting a search for a community that is active over an ad-hoc mesh network. The method also comprises retrieving a community identifier corresponding to the community. The method further comprises generating a community search message containing a community query identifier and the community identifier. The method further comprises initiating transmission of the community search message to one or more neighboring wireless nodes. Each neighboring wireless node that is associated with the community identifier automatically replies to the community search message. The method further comprises identifying the community as an active community if at least one reply is received in response to the community search message. The method further comprises updating the list of active communities based on the identification.

According to another embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to receive input requesting a search for the community. The apparatus is further caused to retrieve a community identifier corresponding to the community. The apparatus is further caused to generate a community search message containing a community query identifier and the community identifier. The apparatus is further caused to initiate transmission of the community search message to one or more neighboring wireless nodes. Each neighboring wireless node that is associated with the community identifier automatically replies to the community search message. The apparatus is further caused to identify the community as an active community if at least one reply is received in response to the community search message. The apparatus is further caused to update the list of active communities based on the identification.

According to another embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to receive input requesting a search for the community. The apparatus is further caused to retrieve a community identifier corresponding to the community. The apparatus is further caused to generate a community search message containing a community query identifier and the community identifier. The apparatus is further caused to initiate transmission of the community search message to one or more neighboring wireless nodes. Each neighboring wireless node that is associated with the community identifier automatically replies to the community search message. The apparatus is further caused to identify the community as an active community if at least one reply is received in response to the community search message. The apparatus is further caused to update the list of active communities based on the identification.

According to another embodiment, an apparatus comprises means for receiving input requesting a search for a community that is active over an ad-hoc mesh network. The apparatus also comprises means for retrieving a community identifier corresponding to the community. The apparatus further comprises means for generating a community search message containing a community query identifier and the community identifier. The apparatus further comprises means for initiating transmission of the community search message to one or more neighboring wireless nodes. Each neighboring wireless node that is associated with the community identifier automatically replies to the community search message. The apparatus further comprises means for identifying the community as an active community if at least one reply is received in response to the community search message. The apparatus further comprises means for updating the list of active communities based on the identification.

Still other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description, simply by illustrating a number of particular embodiments and implementations, including the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention. The invention is also capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details can be modified in various obvious respects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a communication system capable of locating communities over an ad-hoc mesh network, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 2A is a diagram of the components of a wireless node including an awareness services module, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIGS. 2B-2E are diagrams of the components of an awareness services module, according to various exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 2F is a diagram of the data structure of a network layer message header, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 2G is a diagram depicting a power saving scheme of a device-to-device radio layer, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIGS. 3A-3D are flowcharts of processes for locating communities and community members over an ad-hoc mesh network, according to various exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a process for setting a state of a community to change the visibility of community or community member, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 5A is a ladder diagram that illustrates a sequence of messages and processes used in a querying node, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 5B is a ladder diagram that illustrates a sequence of messages and processes used in a replying node, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIGS. 6A-6B are diagrams of a user interface utilized in the process of locating communities over an ad-hoc mesh network, according to various exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a process for creating a community of mobile devices, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a diagram of hardware that can be used to implement an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a diagram of a chip set that can be used to implement an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 10 is a diagram of a mobile station (e.g., handset) that can be used to implement an embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A method and apparatus for locating communities in an ad-hoc mesh network are disclosed. In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the invention. It is apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details or with an equivalent arrangement. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the embodiments of the invention.

As used herein, the term “awareness information” refers to any information and/or context about a local environment as well as the users and communication devices within the local environment. By way of example, awareness information can be used to support applications for creating social networks, determining presence, determining contexts associated with a device, advertising, searching for information, etc. Although various exemplary embodiments are described with respect to locating communities over an ad-hoc mesh network, it is contemplated that the approach described herein may be used within any type of communication system or network.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a communication system capable of locating communities over an ad-hoc mesh network, according to an exemplary embodiment. Information and context comprise “awareness information” that metaphorically equip a communication device with “radio eyes and ears” to continuously collect and exchange information with other devices in a local environment. However, development of a system for providing awareness information poses significant technical challenges, particularly in the areas of creating a network for sharing awareness information, locating and organizing awareness information, forming communities for sharing awareness information, managing power consumption for devices constantly engaged in sharing awareness information, developing applications to take advantage of the awareness information, maintaining the privacy and anonymity of users sharing awareness information, and preventing the proliferation of undesired messages (e.g., spam) over the network.

As shown in FIG. 1, a system 100 comprises one or more wireless nodes 101 a-101 n optionally having connectivity to a communication network 103 through either operator A 105 or operator B 107. The wireless nodes 101 a-101 n are any type of mobile terminal, portable terminal, or fixed terminal including mobile handsets, personal computers, stations, units, devices, multimedia tablets, Internet nodes, communicators, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), radio readable tags (e.g., near field communication (NFC) tags, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags), or any combination thereof. It is also contemplated that the wireless nodes 101 a-101 n can support any type of interface to the user (such as “wearable” circuitry, etc.).

In exemplary embodiments, the wireless nodes 101 a-101 n form an ad-hoc mesh network 109 for sharing awareness information. The ad-hoc mesh network 109 is, for instance, a connectionless and serverless device-to-device network (e.g., a mobile ad-hoc network (MANET)) created using short-range radio technology (e.g., wireless local area network (WLAN) or Bluetooth®). Within the ad-hoc mesh network 109, each wireless node 101 may be mobile and is within communication range of any number of other wireless nodes 101. Accordingly, the set of wireless nodes 101 a-101 n that is within communication range of any a particular wireless node 101 is transient and can change as the wireless nodes 101 a-101 n move from location to location.

As discussed previously, service providers and device manufacturers that are developing communication systems and networks for locating communities face many technical challenges. For example, current ad-hoc radios (e.g., WLAN and Bluetooth®) are designed for connectivity (e.g., connectivity via Internet protocol (IP)). However, in an “always on” environment such as the ad-hoc mesh network 109, it is not practical to have a large number of wireless nodes 101 a-101 n (e.g., mobile handset devices) “connected” by, for instance, IP to each other for extended periods of time because of power usage and scalability problems. Specifically, a multi-hop connection in a large ad-hoc network typically requires a significant amount of control signaling and power and can quickly deplete a mobile device's battery. Moreover, scalability can be a problem because current ad-hoc radios are typically limited in the number of connections and the related signaling that they can support at any given time. Another shortcoming of current ad-hoc radios is that they do not adequately protect a user's privacy because they expose the user's identity through a fixed network address (e.g., a media access control (MAC) address) associated with the user's device.

To address these problems, the system 100 creates the ad-hoc mesh network 109 for sharing awareness information in a connectionless fashion. As used herein, the term “connectionless” refers to the ability of a node (e.g. wireless node 101 a) to send and of all surrounding nodes 101 a-101 n to receive awareness information without the need to send any prior control signaling. For example, sending awareness information using the transmission control protocol/IP (TCP/IP) over a WLAN ad-hoc is not connectionless because of the two-way TCP control signaling between the sending and receiving nodes used to establish the TCP connection. The awareness information is provided, for instance, in small anonymous messages that are exchanged by the wireless nodes 101 a-101 n automatically without user intervention. As used herein, the term “anonymous” means that it is not possible to infer the true identity of the sender from the message, unless the true identity is intentionally included in the message (e.g., by the user or another entity authorized by the user). The exchange of awareness information occurs as a broadcast message (i.e., a flooding message) from a wireless node 101 to neighboring wireless nodes 101 that are within range of the radio of the broadcasting wireless node 101. As neighboring wireless nodes 101 receive the broadcasted message, each receiving wireless node 101 may in turn rebroadcast the message to other neighboring wireless nodes 101. In this way, the originally broadcasted message propagates throughout the ad-hoc mesh network 109. In exemplary embodiments, the extent of the propagation may be limited by criteria such as distance, location, time, etc.

Unlike traditional systems, such messages are only for carrying awareness information and are not for transporting content (e.g., files or media containing voice, video, etc.) between two wireless nodes (e.g., wireless nodes 101 a and 101 b). Instead, the messages contain only pointers to the content or a small amount of data (e.g. presence or context information) to minimize the data traffic transported over the ad-hoc mesh network 109. The wireless nodes 101 a-101 n may then access the content using other communication channels (e.g., via IP through the communication network 103). In addition, the system 100 eliminates the problems associated with traditional methods for route establishment and maintenance (e.g., connection based communication protocols), such as maintaining and handing off connections as mobile devices move, and requiring high levels of network resources for maintaining connections in an environment with a high number or density of mobile devices. For example, the event of a wireless node 101 appearing/disappearing to/from the network does not generate any control signaling in the ad-hoc mesh network 109. Similarly, the system 100 creates routing information only when needed to route replies to queries back to the querying node. The routing information is generated by using the query messages alone (i.e. no control signaling is used for creating routing information). After the query and subsequent reply process is completed, the routes are forgotten. In other words, the query/reply process of system 100 provisions routes for a reply to provide awareness information on demand rather than pushing awareness information from one node 101 to another. In exemplary embodiments, both push (e.g., information is published over the ad-hoc mesh network 109) and pull (e.g., information is queried from other nodes 101 a-101 n of the ad-hoc mesh network 109) modes of disseminating awareness information are possible. In certain embodiments, it is contemplated that the pull mode of operation can be used instead of the push mode to help suppress potential spam messages.

Moreover, the system 100 optimizes the power consumption of wireless nodes 101 communicating over the ad-hoc mesh network 109 to enable always-on operation without seriously affecting the battery life of the wireless nodes 101. For instance, by utilizing only short awareness messages, by eliminating the need for any route maintenance signaling, by employing procedures to minimize transmission and reception of duplicative messages and by enabling an efficient sleep scheme for the short-range device-to-device radio used within each wireless node 101 (allowed by the low latency requirements typical of an awareness information network), the system 100 can potentially provide hundreds of hours (e.g., over 400 hours) of continuous operation of each wireless node 101 between battery charges in a mobile device. The system 100 could be seen as a “nervous system” between the mobile devices, where small messages (“nerve impulses”) are continuously exchanged by the mobile devices (“neurons”) in order to bring awareness to the user of a mobile device about the user's surroundings.

The system 100 also enables the development of new services and applications based on awareness information (e.g., social networking applications, location-based applications, application for determining presence, applications for determining context, advertising applications). In particular, the continuous and immediate nature of the awareness information with respect to local environment enables compelling new services. For instance, awareness information may be combined with the increasingly available storage and computing power in mobile devices (e.g., wireless nodes 101 a-101 n) to create a local semantic web, whereby local awareness information is created and searched for automatically by wireless nodes 101 within the ad-hoc mesh network 109. As used herein, the term “semantic web” refers to a system in which the information and messages shared with the system is understandable by the nodes 101 within the system. It is noted that establishing such a local semantic web using the system 100 overcomes two major problems blocking the development of a global semantic web: (1) lack of mechanism for providing semantic content on a large scale, and (2) lack of semantically aware search engines to help users find information in a semantic web. The system 100 can also be used for collaborative context calculation, publishing pointers to information or content, search for friends within a defined community, finding out what is going on and what kind of people are around a user, making the environment aware of the user, and other like applications.

The following are exemplary use-case scenarios for applications based on awareness information.

In a first use-case, the awareness information alerts a user to nearby people or places. For example, a user is visiting a new town when the wireless node 101 a alerts the user that “Salvatore, a friend of your friend David is nearby.” The user may then arrange to meet Salvatore to get a recommendation for sites to visit in the new town. In another example, a user is looking for a good restaurant in an unfamiliar neighborhood. An application based on awareness information may present a list of local restaurants ranked by the number of people currently eating in the restaurant that have the same food preferences as the user. Such a list can be collected based on queries and replies that contain anonymous information of people's food preferences.

In a second use-case, an application uses the awareness information to discover events near the user. For example, as a user passes a park, the wireless node 101 a informs the user, based on messages exchanged between nearby devices, that “There is a Japanese culture festival in the Tea Garden Park; five members of your Kabuki community are there: Zen, Mi, Xia, Talo, and Chris.” The user may then decide to attend the festival.

In a third use-case, an application provides location-based or context-based services using awareness information. For example, a wireless node 101 a does not have positioning capabilities but nonetheless knows that it is in a grocery store based on anonymous awareness information from other nearby wireless nodes 101. It is contemplated that the grocery store may also place a node 101 in the store to provide such context information, possibly combined with other store specific information such as the address of the store's web page. The wireless node 101 a then reminds the user to “Remember to buy dishwasher detergent” based on the user's location in a grocery store. The awareness information can also be the physical position information from a neighboring wireless node 101 that has the positioning capability. Sharing of positioning information with a neighboring node with such a capability can enable nodes 101 without such capability to offer navigational services.

In another example, a group of people are attending a meeting. The meeting invitation includes an identification code for that particular meeting that is stored in the mobile nodes 101 of the meeting attendees (e.g., the identification code may be stored in the calendar data). Using the principles set forth in this invention, the nodes 101 can exchange the meeting identification code over the ad-hoc mesh network 109 while attending the meeting. Comparing the exchanged identification code in a user's wireless device 101 can, for instance, establish whether the users was indeed at the meeting corresponding to the identification code. Such accurate social context knowledge can be used, for instance, to adapt the service or application behavior towards the user.

In a fourth use-case, an application provides for search of local information that changes rapidly and very specific to a local environment. The local information often does not reach traditional Internet search engines. For example, a user bought tickets to a concert, but discovers at the last minute that the user cannot attend. The user stores a string “Ticket to concert X at venue Y is available” into the awareness services module 111 of the user's wireless node 101. As a result, a nearby wireless node 101 a, within a few street blocks away, that searches for tickets by sending query messages with a string “Ticket concert X” over the multi-hop ad-hoc mesh network 109, will receive the user's ticket availability message as an automatic reply.

In a fifth use-case, an application enables locally targeted advertising. For example, it is almost closing time for a local fresh fruit market. The merchants decide to publish an advertisement over the ad-hoc mesh network 109 that “Apples are 50% off for the rest of the day.” The advertisement is available to users who live nearby the market. In another example, a user browses an advertisement for a new printer on a wireless node 101 a. In the browsing activity, a code attached to the advertisement is stored in the awareness services module 111. Upon searching and finding such a code, a nearby electronics store sends the user an offer to sell the printer with a 10% discount.

In a sixth use-case, an application automatically creates an activity log based on the awareness information associated with a user. For example, the application records the people the user meets along with other awareness information such as when, where, context, etc. The user then meets a person while walking on the street. The person looks familiar but the user does not recall the person's name or how the user knows the person. The wireless node 101 a running the application reports that the person's name is David and that the user met him at a soccer match one year ago in London.

In a seventh use-case, an application provides the capability to initiate local discussion threads and group chats over the ad-hoc mesh network 109. For example, the supporters of a football team form a community over the ad-hoc mesh network 109 wherein community members can send short text messages (e.g., of small enough size to be sent directly over the ad-hoc mesh network 109) that can be received and read only by the fan club community members of that particular team.

FIG. 2A is a diagram of the components of a wireless node including an awareness services module, according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 2A is described with respect to FIGS. 2B-2E which are diagrams of the components of an awareness services module, according to various exemplary embodiments. As shown in FIG. 2A, a wireless node 101 includes one or more components for sharing awareness information within the ad-hoc mesh network 109. It is contemplated that the functions of these components may be combined in one or more components or performed by other components of equivalent functionality. In this embodiment, the wireless node 101 includes an application 201 that uses awareness information to provide various services and functions including social networking, location-based services, presence information, context determination, advertising functions, etc. The application 201 may interact with the awareness services module 111 to obtain or share awareness information.

By way of example, the awareness services module 111 includes three layers: a cognition layer 203, a community layer 205, and a network layer 207. The cognition layer 203 is the highest control layer for sharing awareness information. As shown in FIG. 2B, the cognition layer 203 includes a control logic 221 and item storage 223. The control logic 221, for instance, provides the logic for creating, publishing, querying, and receiving awareness information over the ad-hoc mesh network 109. The control logic 221 can store the information that it either creates or receives in the item storage 223. It is contemplated that the item storage 223 may be of sufficient size to store all or a portion of the information that flows through the wireless node 101 over a configurable period of time (e.g., days, months, or years).

In exemplary embodiments, the control logic 221 enables querying and dissemination of awareness information by initiating the flooding of the query or information to neighboring wireless nodes 101 within the ad-hoc mesh network 109. For example, upon receiving a query, the wireless nodes 101 in the local neighborhood that have the queried information reply to the querying node automatically. In exemplary embodiments, the reply information is also automatically stored in the item storage 223 of each wireless node 101 through which the propagating reply passes. Moreover, the reply to a query may result in return of a pointer to specific content relevant to the query rather than the content itself under certain circumstances (e.g., when the specific content is large in size). It is contemplated that the reply may contain direct content if the content is relatively small (e.g., a few tens of bytes of information). By using a pointer, the system 100 minimizes the data traffic that flows through the ad-hoc mesh network 109. The user may then access the content via the pointer (e.g., a universal resource locator (URL) address, IP address) via a more appropriate communication protocol (e.g., IP) and/or means of communication (e.g. infrastructure networks). The receipt of the pointer (e.g., IP address) may automatically trigger the transfer of the content using, for instance, the communication protocol associated with the pointer. In the case of broadcasting or publishing information, any wireless node 101 through which the published information propagates may store the information in item storage 223 of the wireless node 101.

In other exemplary embodiments, awareness information can also be published directly by flooding an awareness message. Such a push mode for the dissemination of awareness information can be used to support some applications (e.g. advertising or group chatting) over the ad-hoc mesh network 109.

It is recognized that privacy and anonymity may be of concern to users of the system 100. Accordingly, the control logic 221 provides mechanisms for ensuring privacy and anonymity. For example, the control logic 221 can prevent the transmission of intimate information when the number of neighboring wireless nodes is small to prevent the possibility of inferring identity. As used herein, the term “intimate information” refers to information directly related to the user, e.g., the user's habits, tastes, or preferences (musical preferences, favorite restaurants, etc.).

The control logic 221 may also periodically broadcast decoy queries and replies to make tracking an individual wireless node 101 more difficult. Since an outside observer does not know the authentication key associated with a community, the observer cannot distinguish a valid message from a fictitious one. Accordingly, by observing decoy messages, the observer is likely to detect presence of a private community when there is not one. Additionally, the control logic 221 enables to user to define filters for incoming information (e.g., filter advertisements) and how these filters would work (e.g., ignore the information completely, relay the information but do not store, etc.). It is also contemplated that the user can direct the control logic 221 to control the user's visibility on the ad-hoc mesh network 109 (e.g., no visibility, visible only to a certain community or other user) to maintain privacy. As another mechanism for protecting privacy, the control logic 221 can interact with the community layer 205 to anonymize a specific message and corresponding identifiers as described below with respect to the community layer 205.

Because one of the goals of the system 100 is to provide a mechanism for anonymous spreading of awareness information, it is recognized that undesired or unsolicited messages (e.g., spam messages) may become a problem. To address this problem, the control logic 221 may obtain, for instance, information from the lower system layers of the awareness services module 111 about the traffic load and current average power consumption. If the traffic load is medium or high (meaning that also power consumption related to system 100 is medium or high) restrictions may be set for the frequency at which flooding messages are sent by the control logic 221. It is also contemplated, that the neighboring peer nodes 101 can be configured to not forward any flooding messages originating from a node 101 neglecting such message restrictions.

The cognition layer 203, together with the community layer 205, provide an application programming interface (API) 225 to enable an application 201 to access the functions of the control logic 221 and the item storage 223. In exemplary embodiments, the API 225 enables application developers to have uniform and easy access to functions related to sharing awareness information over the ad-hoc mesh network 109. It is contemplated that the API 225 is extensible to accommodate any application designed to access or use awareness information. The applications in the various nodes 101 do not have to be the same or mutually compatible. It is sufficient that the applications use the API correctly to be able to publish and search awareness information in the surrounding nodes 101.

The cognition layer 203 also has connectivity to the community layer 205. The community layer 205 controls the formation and cataloging of communities of wireless nodes 101 within the ad-hoc mesh network 109. By way of example, a user may create any number of communities for sharing awareness information. It is contemplated that a community may be either a peer community (e.g., any wireless node 101 may join), a personal community (e.g., a wireless node 101 may join only if invited), or the open local community that consists of all nodes in the local neighborhood. In exemplary embodiments, the messages that traverse between the wireless nodes 101 within the ad-hoc mesh network 109 belong to one of these three community types. Communities can either be private (messages are encrypted) or public (no encryption used). In exemplary embodiments, membership and status in a community affect how the wireless node 101 shares awareness information (see the discussion with respect to FIG. 2G for additional details of community membership).

Furthermore, a community may be created for any purpose or duration (e.g., a permanent work community, a permanent community of friends, a temporary community of concert goers lasting only the duration of the concert). As shown in FIG. 2C, the community layer 205 includes a community control module 241, a community directory 243, and an encryption/decryption module 245. The community control module 241 provides the logic for creating, joining, managing (e.g., updating membership, configuring settings and preferences, setting privacy policies), and deleting communities. The module 241 also provides part of the API 225.

In exemplary embodiments, the community control module 241 assigns a unique community identification number (CID) to each community for use within the ad-hoc mesh network 109. The control module 241 can also generate authentication keys K associated with the CID to, for instance, authenticate users who wish to join the community or authenticate messages directed to the community. For example, a wireless node 101 may invite another wireless node 101 to join a community by transferring the CID and authentication keys associated with the community to the other wireless node 101. It is contemplated that the transfer of the CID and corresponding authentication key may occur using short range radio or using another secure mechanism (e.g., short message service (SMS) or electronic mail). It is noted that both peer and personal communities use a CID and corresponding K, whereas the open local community either can use a predetermined value for CID (e.g., zero) or does not use the CID at all.

To ensure privacy (as discussed above), the community control module 241 interacts an encryption/decryption module 245 to anonymize the CID when including the CID in messages over the ad hoc mesh network 109. For example, a wireless node 101 may direct a query to a specific community using an anonymized CID (e.g., a pseudonym) associated with the community in lieu of the actual CID. In exemplary embodiments, multiple anonymized CIDs may be used to represent a single community. In this way, it is more difficult to identify queries corresponding to a particular community by monitoring traffic within the ad hoc mesh network 109. From the perspective of an outside observer, the anonymized CIDs look random. In addition, the encryption/decryption module 245 may encrypt or decrypt message data using, for instance, a temporary key that is periodically derived from the authentication key K associated with the CID. These measures hinder the discovery of the CID by outsiders that do not have the authentication key. By way of example, the community layer 205 inserts a special header into the messages that it receives from the cognition layer 203. The special header, for instance, contains a list of anonymized community identifiers corresponding to the communities to which the message is relevant.

FIG. 2D is a state diagram of the effect of community membership and status on sharing awareness information, according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2D, a wireless node 101 may be in either one or two states (e.g., a not-joined state 251 and a joined state 253) with respect to membership in a community within the ad-hoc mesh network 109. The application 201 of wireless node 101 issues, for instance, a command 255 to either join or leave a community to transition between the not-joined state 251 and the joined state 253. When the wireless node 101 is in the not-joined state 251 with respect to a community, the wireless node 101 has no information (e.g., CID and associated authentication keys K) about the community and cannot access messages directed to the community. When the wireless node 101 is in the joined state 253, the community layer 205 receives the CID and possibly one or more authentication keys associated with the community. In one embodiment, authentication keys are provided when membership in the community is by invitation or otherwise restricted (e.g., when the community is a personal community or a private community). Accordingly, the community layer 205 will be able to encrypt outgoing community specific messages and to decrypt incoming community specific messages.

When the wireless node 101 is in the joined state 253, the wireless node 101 may also be in either an inactive state 257 or an active state 259. To transition between the inactive state 257 and the active state 259, the application 201 may issue a command 261 to either activate or deactivate the joined state 253 via the application programming interface 225. When the wireless node 101 is in the inactive state 257, the community layer 205 abandons the message even though it is a member of the community. In certain embodiments, the wireless node 101 may also be invisible to other members of the community while in the inactive state 257. For example, the wireless node 101 may enter the inactive state 257 when it temporarily does not want to receive or share information with the community. When the wireless node 101 is in the active state 259, the community layer 205 encrypts and decrypts community messages as usual for private communities, and enables all outgoing and incoming community specific messages for public communities (e.g., communities with no restrictions on membership).

Within the active state 259, the wireless node 101 may also be in either an invisible state 263 or a visible state 265. To transition between the invisible state 263 and the visible state 265, the application 201 issues a command 267 to set either the visible or invisible state. When in the invisible state 263, the community-specific identity (e.g., a user alias) associated with the wireless node 101 cannot be queried by other members of the community. For example, in the invisible state 263, the community layer 205 continues to receive and send community messages without its identity known to other community members. When in the visible state 265, the identity of the wireless node 101 can be queried by other members of the community.

In various embodiments, the community directory 243 of the community layer 205 maintains, for instance, information on the communities that the user has joined. Such information contains, at least, the community identification (CID). Additionally, it may contain public and/or private authentication keys (K) of the joined communities and a list of anonymized community identifiers for each community. The community control module 241 may periodically recalculate the list of anonymized CIDs. By way of example, the community layer 205 inserts a header into the message it receives from the cognition layer 203. The header contains, for instance, a list of anonymized community identifiers identifying the communities to which the message is relevant.

It is contemplated that a special personal community can be reserved for tracking new bonds or relationships created between users. Consider, for example, that user A meets user B for the first time and wants to create a radio bond between the mobile devices corresponding to each user. In one embodiment, user A can initiate the creation this bond with user B by transferring to user B (e.g., by using a secure transfer mechanism) the CID and the public K of user A's personal “new bonds” community. Similarly, user B may give user A similar credentials corresponding to user B's “new bonds” community. Once the credentials are exchanged and the bond has been created, user A may find user B over the ad-hoc mesh network 109 by searching for members of user A's “new bonds” community. In other words, with a simple search of a single community, user A can search for all the people in user A's local neighborhood with whom user A has created a bond. This requires that a high number of community CIDs and Ks can be stored in the community directory 243. Also, an effective lookup of the community directory must be provided. There are many existing and good solutions for such efficient lookup.

As the user creates new bonds, the number community CIDs and Ks stored in the user's community directory 243 can grow quite large. Accordingly, to enable effective search of a large number of communities, the community layer 205 may generate a special community search message to initiate the search. For example, the special community search message contains, at least in part, a list of anonymized community identifiers corresponding to the communities to be searched. To protect the privacy, the community layer 205 can generate a new set of anonymized community identifiers for each community search message. If the community layer 205 finds a match to any of the anonymized community identifiers in any of the neighboring nodes 101 that receives the search message, the community layer 205 generates a reply message that may contain the alias of the user in that community or other community specific information. The reply message may be encrypted with the encryption key of the community.

As shown in FIG. 2C, the community layer 205 has connectivity to the cognition layer 203 above and the network layer 207 below. The network layer 207 manages the rebroadcasting of received flooding messages and the routing of the unicast (typically reply) messages received by the wireless node 101. FIG. 2E depicts a diagram of the components of the network layer 207, according to an exemplary embodiment. The network layer 207 includes a network control module 271, routing table 273, neighbor table 275, message identification (MID) table 277, and message table 279. The network control module 271 directs the broadcasts of messages and information by managing and updating the routing table 273, neighbor table 275, MID table 277, and message table 279. In certain embodiments, the network control module 271 may also assist in protecting the privacy and anonymity of users by periodically changing the network layer identification associated with the wireless node 101. It is noted that making such a change in the network layer identification between queries does not cause routing problems for replies because the routing information is recreated by each query in the ad-hoc mesh network 109.

In exemplary embodiments, the network layer 207 may insert a header into messages it receives from the community layer 205 to, for instance, direct flooding and routing of the received messages. The structure of this network layer message header 281 is discussed with respect to FIG. 2F. FIG. 2F is a diagram of the data structure of a network layer message header, according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown, the message header 281 contains the following fields: (1) a TX field 282 to identify the transmitter node ID (NID) of the last transmitting node 101; (2) a SRC field 283 to identify the source node ID of the node 101 that originated the message; (3) a DST field 284 to identify the destination source ID of the intended recipient of a unicast (reply) message (e.g., this field is give a value of zero when the message is a flooding messages); (4) a MSN field 285 to identify the message sequence number assigned by the source node; and (5) a hop count field 286 that is incremented by one by each node 101 that transmits the message. In certain embodiments, the message header 281 may also contain the following optional fields: (6) a geographical limit field 287 to designate the extent of the physical over which the message is intended to propagate (e.g., the geographical limit field 287 may contain a geographical position of the source node and a maximum flooding radius from that position); (7) a temporal limit field 288 (e.g., the temporal limit field 288 may contain the time when the message becomes obsolete and should be dropped); and (8) a context limit field 289 that defines the context beyond which the message is not intended to propagate (e.g. a message related to a particular concert is not intended to extend beyond the concert venue).

Returning to FIG. 2E, the network layer 207 also contains a routing table 273. In exemplary embodiments, the routing table 273 contains a listing of the node identification number (NID) of the originating wireless node 101 (e.g., source NID) and the NIDs of the last known transmitters of the message. The purpose of the routing table is to enable the routing of the reply messages (e.g., unicast messages) back to the querying node that originated the query through a flooding message. As the message propagates through the ad-hoc mesh network 109, each subsequent wireless node 101 that receives the message adds the NID of the last transmitter to the routing table to record the next hop neighbor towards the source node. The source node is marked as the destination node (DST) in the routing table. Also the message sequence number of the message is recorded. The update of the routing table 273 is coordinated by the network control module 271. As shown in Table 1, the routing table 273 lists the destination NID, the transmitter NIDs associated with wireless nodes 101 that have rebroadcasted a message and the MSN of the message.

TABLE 1 Destination NID Transmitter NIDs Message Sequence Number DST₁ TX₁₁, TX₁₂, . . . , TX_(1M) MSN₁ DST₂ TX₂₁, TX₂₂, . . . , TX_(2N) MSN₂ . . . . . . DST_(S) TX_(S1), TX_(S), . . . , TX_(ST) MSN_(S)

The neighbor table 275 contains a list of the neighboring wireless nodes 101 and an estimate of their relative radio distance (see Table 3). It is contemplated that the observed signal strength together with the known transmitting power of a neighboring wireless node 101 is an indicator of the proximity of the wireless node 101 and can be used to calculate the relative radio distance. The relative radio distance of the node from which the message was last received is then used as a criterion for whether or not the wireless node 101 retransmits a received message. For instance, a higher signal strength indicates closer proximity to the wireless node 101. The network control module 271 monitors the signal strengths of neighboring nodes 101 as the module 271 receives messages from nearby devices and uses it to estimate the relative radio distance (e.g., proximity of the transmitting node 101). It is also contemplated that the network control module 271 may use any other mechanism for estimating the relative radio distance of neighboring nodes (e.g., estimating location using global positioning satellite receivers or other positioning techniques).

In certain embodiments, the network control module 271 uses the proximity information to direct the routing and transmission of messages over the ad-hoc mesh network 109. For example, the system 101 can reduce the potential for overloading the ad-hoc mesh network 109 by implementing a smart flooding scheme whereby only a few nodes 101 retransmit a flooding message. Whether a node 101 retransmits a flooding message can be dependent on the relative distance group (e.g., “very near”, “near”, or “far”) to which the node 101 that is the transmitter of the message belongs. More specifically, if the transmitting node 101 is in the “far” or “near” group, the receiving node 101 can retransmit the flooding message. If the transmitting node 101 is in the “very near” group, the receiving node 101 does not retransmit the flooding message. For each broadcast message received from a node in either the “far” or “near” group, the network control module 271 assigns a random delay time for relaying or rebroadcasting. The delay period, for instance, exhibits a distribution function based on the estimated relative radio distance as a way to randomize the delay period before transmission. The distribution should be chosen in such a way that the random delay is larger for those nodes that are “near” than for those that are “far.” This favors, for instance, nodes 101 that are further away to relay the flooding message forward, which results in better flooding efficiency (smaller total number of transmissions). The use of a random delay time also prevents the unintended synchronization of message broadcasts as the message propagates over the ad-hoc mesh network 109. For example, unintended synchronization of the message broadcasts may result in too many nodes 101 sending broadcasting (i.e., flooding) messages over the ad-hoc mesh network 109 at exactly the same time. Additionally, the delay time provides an opportunity for the network control module 271 to monitor and count rebroadcasts of the message by other neighboring wireless nodes 101.

TABLE 2 Transmitter NID Relative Radio Distance TX₁ D₁ TX₂ D₂ . . . . . . TX_(T) D_(T)

The MID table 277 contains a list of received messages. As the wireless node 101 receives messages from neighboring nodes over the ad hoc mesh network 109, the network control module 271 uses the MID table to check whether the message has been received previously by, for example, comparing the MIDs in the MID table 277 to that of the received message. The MID table 277 also contains a flag indicating whether a message has been transmitted by the node 101 and the time when the entry was last updated. In exemplary embodiments, the MID is the tuple (SRC, MSN), where SRC is the NID of the source node and MSN is a message sequence number assigned by the source node. In this way, the MID is a unique identifier of each message that propagates in the network 109. The network control module 271 makes an entry in the MID table 277 for all new messages that it receives. If the message has been scheduled for transmission, the module 271 increments the message counter in the message table (see Table 4).

TABLE 3 MID Sent flag Time of reception (SRC₁, MSN₁₁) “SENT” t₁₁ (SRC₁, MSN₁₂) “NOT SENT” t₁₂ . . . . . . . . . (SRC₂, MSN₂₁) “NOT SENT” t₂₁

The message table 279 contains messages that the network control module 271 has scheduled to transmit. For example, as the node 101 receives a flooding message that the network control module 271 schedules for transmission, the module 271 updates the message table to include the message in the message table 279. Each entry in the message table 279 contains the message itself, the time when the message is scheduled to be sent, and the number of receptions of the same message by the node 101 (see Table 4). In exemplary embodiments, a message is not relayed over the ad-hoc mesh network 109 if the number of times the message has been received exceeds a predefined limit. For example, a message has the initial count of 0. In this example, as a wireless node 101 in the neighborhood is observed to transmit the message, the message count associated with the message is increased. When the maximum message count is reached, the network control module 271 removes the message from the message table 279. The transmitter of each message is also associated with an estimated relative radio distance (D) indicating whether the transmitting node is within close proximity of the wireless node 101 (e.g., transmitting node 101 is in the “very near” relative radio distance group) or far from the wireless node 101 (e.g., transmitting node 101 is in the “far” relative radio distance group). If the relative radio distance associated with the transmitting node indicates that the transmission of the message occurred “very near,” the wireless node 101 would not have to relay the message because it is assumed, for instance, that most of the other neighboring wireless nodes 101 have already received the same message. By taking into account the relative radio distances of neighboring nodes, the described smart flooding functionality leads to, on average, each flooding message being received for a few times by each node 101 independent of the node density. The number of times a message is received by any one node 101 affects the scalability of the network 109.

If the received message, however, is a unicast reply message that was addressed to the receiving node 101, the network control module 271 checks whether the destination node 101 can be found in the routing table 273 (e.g., can be found from the destination field in the reply message, or obtained from the source field of the query by the replying node). If found, the routing table entry will give the NID of the neighboring node to which the reply message will be sent in the next opportunity. If the unicast transmission is not successful, the next entry for the same DST will be used as the next try. If the received message is a unicast reply message that was not addressed to the receiving node, and no acknowledgment from the intended receiver node was heard, the node will store the message in the message table 279 for scheduled retransmission. It is noted that unicast messages or acknowledgement messages that are not addressed to the node 101 are normally received D2D radio layer 209 (see discussion of the D2D radio layer 209 below) but not by the awareness services module 111. However, under certain circumstances, the D2D radio layer 209 can provide such messages to the awareness services module 111 to schedule for retransmission. For example, if no successful unicast of the same message is observed by the time when the message is scheduled to be transmitted, the node 101 will transmit the unicast or acknowledgement message to the intended recipient found from the routing table 273 associated with the message. In this way, the nodes 101 that are not the intended recipients of the reply messages can assist in routing the message forward towards the correct destination.

TABLE 4 Message Time to send Received msg count MSG₁ t₁ C₁ MSG₂ t₂ C₂ . . . . . . . . . MSG_(M) t_(M) C_(M)

As shown in FIG. 2A, the awareness services module 111 has connectivity to a device-to-device (D2D) radio layer 209. The D2D radio layer 209 enables the formation of the ad-hoc mesh network 109 and sharing of awareness information using, for instance, short range radio technologies such WLAN and Bluetooth®. It is contemplated that the D2D radio layer 209 may use any wireless technology for communication between devices over short ranges. The radio technology, for instance, enables each wireless node 101 within the ad-hoc mesh network 109 to broadcast messages in a connectionless way to the neighboring nodes 101 that are within radio range. As used herein, the term “connectionless” means the wireless nodes 101 need not use two-way signaling to establish a communication channel before broadcasting a message. In exemplary embodiments, the D2D radio layer 209 may include multiple radios using one or more different technologies or protocols (e.g., WLAN and Bluetooth® simultaneously). A wireless node 101 configured with multiple radios may act as a gateway node to span two or more sub-networks serviced by the different wireless technologies. In this way, messages broadcast on one sub-network may be propagated to another sub-network.

FIG. 2G is a diagram depicting a power saving scheme of a device-to-device radio layer, according to an exemplary embodiment. The small amount of awareness data as well as the low latency requirements of the system 100 enables the operation of the D2D radio layer 209 in a way that leads to low power consumption. As shown in FIG. 2G, the D2D radio layer 209 may have beaconing periods 291 a-291 c delineated by target beacon transmission times (TBTTs) 293 a-293 c. In exemplary embodiments, the D2D radio layer 209 may operate in a time-synchronized manner and utilize only a fraction of the time for active communication (e.g., during awake periods 295 a-295 c). During the rest of each beaconing period 291, the D2D radio layer 209 is in, for instance, a power-saving or dozing mode (e.g., during doze periods 297 a-297 c). For example, each beaconing period 291 can be on the order of hundreds of milliseconds and each awake period 293 only a few milliseconds, leading to effective radio utilization of approximately one percent. It is contemplated that for situations, where the number of nodes 101 is very large (such as during mass events), time-wise radio utilization can increase up to 100 percent momentarily (e.g., awake period 293 equals active transmission period 291). At times of low traffic (for example at night), the radio utilization can be decreased to, for instance, 0.1 percent, by utilizing every tenth awake period 293 while still maintaining synchronization.

In exemplary embodiments, the low latency requirements also enable saving power in the host processor (e.g., as depicted in FIG. 9). For illustration, the following description refers to the components of exemplary chip set of FIG. 9. The D2D radio layer 209 is typically implemented in the ASIC module 909, whereas the functionalities of the awareness services module 111 can be implemented either in the ASIC 909 or the processor 903. If the functionalities of the awareness services module 111 are implemented in the processor 903, power consumption is reduced by, for instance, having ASIC 909 wake up the processor 903 as infrequently as possible. By way of example, the periodic operation of the D2D radio layer 209 explained above enables the ASIC 909 to collect all messages and send them to the processor 903 at a frequency of once per active transmission period 291. The processor 903 then processes all received messages and calculates new messages to be sent for the next active transmission period 291. The processor 903 then sends the messages to the ASIC 909 for transmission. Using this process, a flooding message can make one hop (e.g., travel from one node 101 to another node 101) per period 291, which is fully acceptable for awareness information. In contrast, potential delays of hundreds of milliseconds are not possible, for example, for voice traffic, and these kinds of power savings cannot therefore be achieved in other communication systems transporting delay-sensitive traffic.

FIGS. 3A-3D are flowcharts of processes for locating communities and community members in the local neighborhood over an ad-hoc mesh network, according to various exemplary embodiments. FIG. 3A is a flowchart for locating active communities over the ad-hoc mesh network 109 and updating a list of the active communities that are visible to a wireless node 101. In one embodiment, the awareness services module 111 performs the process 300 of FIG. 3A and is implemented in, for instance, a chip set including a processor and a memory as shown in FIG. 9. In step 301, the awareness services module 111 identifies one or more communities of wireless nodes 101 by using, for instance, community identifiers (CIDs) corresponding to the one or more communities. In exemplary embodiments, each CID is associated with one or more authentication keys for authenticating members and messages transmitted within the corresponding community. The CIDs and associated keys are stored by the awareness services module 111 in, for instance, the community directory 243 and may be provided to wireless nodes 101 that are members of the community in advance using a secure communication channel over the ad-hoc mesh network 109 or the communication network 103. CIDs and keys that are created subsequently may also be provided using a secure communication channel over either the ad-hoc mesh network 109 or the communication network 103.

By way of example, the awareness services module 111 can use the CIDs to locate and identify communities that are active (e.g., transmitting or receiving community messages) among one or more neighboring wireless nodes 101 by (1) passively monitoring messages directed towards one or more communities over the ad-hoc mesh network 109 using the process described with respect to FIG. 3B below, (2) actively searching for one or more communities using a community search message as described with respect to FIG. 3C below, and/or (3) actively searching for one or more members of the communities using a member search message as described with respect to FIG. 3D. The awareness services module 111 then updates a list of active communities based on the identification (step 303). For example, the list of active communities includes those communities to which the wireless node 101 belongs (e.g., communities that are private such as a community of personal friends) and those communities that are public and open to all nodes 101 (e.g., a general community of all wireless nodes on the ad-hoc network 109 in which system wide messages may be exchanged).

In exemplary embodiments, the awareness services module 111 is continuously updating the list of active communities by, for instance, monitoring for messaging traffic over the ad-hoc mesh network 109 related to one or more of the active communities (step 305). More specifically, the awareness services module 111 tracks whether there are any messages originating from or directed to one or more of the active communities over a predetermined period of time. In one embodiment, the period of time can be dependent on the on the density or stability of neighboring wireless nodes 101. For example, if the composition of the neighboring wireless nodes 101 is changing rapidly, the time period can be shorter. Similarly, if the composition of the neighboring wireless nodes 101 is more stable, the time period can be longer. In either case, the awareness services module 111 observes whether there are any messages related to one or more of the active communities (e.g., by checking the header information of the messages for CIDs corresponding to any of the active communities) (step 307). If no messages are observed over the predetermined period of time for a particular community, the awareness services module 111 designates that community as inactive and updates the list of active communities accordingly (step 309). If a message related to a particular community is observed during the time period, the community is considered to be still active and the awareness services module 111 need not update the list of active communities. It is contemplated that the awareness services module can continuously or periodically perform the monitoring process to update the list of active communities.

FIG. 3B is a flowchart of a process for passively identifying an active community by monitoring community messages, according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, the awareness services module 111 performs the process 320 of FIG. 3B and is implemented in, for instance, a chip set including a processor and a memory as shown in FIG. 9. In step 321, the awareness services module 111 receives a message directed to one or more communities from a neighboring wireless node 101 over the ad-hoc mesh network 109. The awareness services module 111 then determines whether the receiving wireless node 101 is a member of the community to which the message is directed (step 323). For example, the determination may involve checking whether the CID contained in, for instance, the message header of the received message matches a CID contained in the community directory 243 of the receiving wireless node 101. In certain embodiments, the CID is anonymized to protect the privacy of the community and its members. In this case, the receiving wireless node 101 is a member of the community, the awareness services module 111 may decode the anonymized CID using the authentication key associated with the CID of the community specified in the received message. Further, if the message is encrypted, the awareness services module 111 may open the encryption using the encryption key associated with the CID as listed in the community directory 243. If the awareness services module 111 determines that the receiving node 111 is a member of the community (step 325), the module 111 identifies the community as an active community and updates the list of active communities accordingly (step 327).

FIG. 3C is a flowchart of a process for actively searching for one or more active communities using a community search message, according to an exemplary embodiment. In one embodiment, the awareness services module 111 performs the process 340 of FIG. 3C and is implemented in, for instance, a chip set including a processor and a memory as shown in FIG. 9. In step 341, the awareness services module 111 receives input requesting a search for one or more active communities in the local neighborhood of the ad-hoc mesh network 109. The input is received from, for instance, the application 201 through the application programming interface 225 (as described with respect to FIGS. 2A and 2C). For example, the input may specify one or more communities for which to search. In response, the awareness services module 111 retrieves a CID for each requested community (step 343). In certain embodiments, the CIDs are anonymized to protect the privacy of the community and its members (step 345). Using anonymized CIDs protects privacy by making it more difficult for an outsider to track communications related to any particular community. The community control module 241 then generates a community search message containing a containing a unique community query identifier CQID and a list of anonymized CIDs (step 347).

After creating the message, the awareness services module 111 initiates broadcast of the message over the ad-hoc mesh network 109 (step 349). In exemplary embodiments, the community search message is equivalent to a query and is transmitted and replied to using the processes described with respect to FIGS. 5A and 5B below. As the message propagates over the ad-hoc mesh network 109, mobile devices that are members of one or more of the active communities associated with the anonymized CID or CIDs included in the message automatically respond to mobile device that originally sent the message. The awareness services module 111 initiates receipt of the reply messages (step 351). The reply message contains, for instance, a list of anonymized CIDs of those searched communities which have an “active” status in the replying node 101. Based on this list, the awareness services module 111 identifies each community in the list as an active community and updates the list of active communities in, for instance, the community directory 243 (step 353).

FIG. 3D is a flowchart of a process for actively determining the presence and community-specific identity (e.g., alias) of members of a particular community or communities, according to an exemplary embodiment. In one embodiment, the awareness services module 111 performs the process 360 of FIG. 3D and is implemented in, for instance, a chip set including a processor and a memory as shown in FIG. 9. In step 361, the awareness services module 111 receives input requesting a search for one or more members of a community. The input is received from, for instance, the application 201 through the application programming interface 225 (as described with respect to FIGS. 2A and 2C). For example, the input may specify one or more communities whose members are to be searched for. In step 363, the awareness services module 111 retrieves the CID or CIDs associated with the requested community or communities from the community directory 243. In certain embodiments, the CIDs are anonymized to protect the privacy of the community and its members (step 365). If any one of the communities is set in the “visible” state, the awareness services module 111 also retrieves the community-specific user identity (e.g., an alias) of the user for that community. By way of example, the encryption/decryption module 245 of the awareness services module 111 may also encrypt the user alias in step 365 using, for instance, one or more of the keys associated with each community in the community directory 243. The community control module 241 then generates a member search message containing a unique community query identifier CQID, a list of anonymized CIDs, and corresponding plaintext (in case of a public community) or encrypted (in case of a private community) aliases of the members for which to search (step 367).

After the member search message is generated, the awareness services module 111 initiates broadcast of the member search message over the ad-hoc mesh network 109 (step 369). In exemplary embodiments, the member search message is equivalent to a query and is transmitted and replied to using the processes described with respect to FIGS. 5A and 5B below. As the message propagates over the ad-hoc mesh network 109, mobile devices that have one or more communities associated with the anonymized CID or CIDs in the “visible” state automatically respond to the mobile device that originally sent the message. If aliases corresponding to one or more users are also included in member search message, mobile devices corresponding to the user aliases also respond. The awareness services module 111 initiates receipt of the reply messages sent in response to the member search message (step 371). The reply message includes, for instance, a list of anonymized CIDs, plaintext or encrypted user aliases and, possibly, the plaintext or encrypted status (e.g. activity state, mode, etc.) of the community member. In certain embodiments, the awareness services module 111 uses the reply messages to update the list of visible community members in the local neighborhood (step 373). In addition, the awareness services module 111 also uses the replies to identify active communities within the neighborhood and to update the list of active communities (step 375). The updates are based, for instance, on the anonymized CIDs, the community-specific member identity (e.g., alias), o other member-specific information included in the reply messages.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a process for setting a state of a community to change the visibility of community or community member, according to an exemplary embodiment. In one embodiment, the awareness services module 111 performs the process 400 and is implemented in, for instance, a chip set including a processor and a memory as shown in FIG. 9. In step 401, the awareness services module 111 enables the user to set a state corresponding to a community that determines the visibility of the community or a member of the community. The different states of the community and how the state affects the visibility of status of the community are discussed with respect to FIG. 2D. For example, in various embodiments, when a community is active, it is capable of sending and receiving community specific messages. Similarly, when a community member is visible, the user alias associated with the community member can be queried and sent to other community members.

Moreover, it is contemplated that the state of a community in a wireless node 101 can be used to filter incoming messages. For example, to block all incoming or outgoing messages, a user can set the state of a community to inactive so that all messages from that particular community are disregarded. It is contemplated that a user belonging to multiple communities may independently set the visibility state for each community. By way of example, to block incoming advertisements, the user can set the state to inactive for the community sending the advertisements. It is also contemplated that the user can automatically set the visibility state based on criteria such as time (e.g., to automatically set a visibility state at certain periods of the day), location (e.g., to automatically set a visibility state at certain locations such as work or school), or any other context (e.g., while in a meeting or at dinner).

FIG. 5A is a ladder diagram that illustrates a sequence of messages and processes used in a querying node, according to an exemplary embodiment. A network process is represented by a thin vertical line. A step or message passed from one process to another is represented by horizontal arrows. A dashed horizontal arrow represents an optional step or message. The processes represented in FIG. 5A are the querying node 502, relaying node 506, and replying node 508. Within querying node 502, the following additional processes are represented: application 201, cognition layer 203, community layer 205, network layer 207, and D2D radio layer 209.

In step 501, the application 201 within querying node 502 generates a request for searching community information (e.g., wireless nodes 101 having active communities or communities with visible members) over the ad-hoc mesh network 109 and sends the request to the community layer 205 of the querying node 502. The community layer 205 generates a community query message, assigns a community query identification number (CQID) to the query message and prepares the query message for transmission over the ad-hoc mesh network 109 by marking the query with CIDs of the communities from which the user is seeking information. If the user seeks information on members of the communities and the communities are private, the community layer 205 encrypts the community-specific user identity (e.g., alias) using the encryption keys associated with the respective CID and stored in the community directory 243 (FIG. 2C). If the community directory 243 contains recent information about active communities in other nodes then the community layer 205 may return the community information (step 503). The community layer 205 then sends the anonymized and partly encrypted message to the network layer 207 (step 505).

The network layer 207 assigns a message sequence number (MID) to the query message and adds fields to the network layer message header 281 (FIG. 2F) to indicate that the querying node 502 is the source and transmitter of the query message (e.g., using the NID). The network layer 207 sends the query message to the D2D radio layer 209 of the querying node 502 for broadcasting in the ad-hoc mesh network 109 (step 507).

The query message is then broadcasted to one or more relaying nodes 506 (step 509). All the nodes that are able to receive the broadcast message are relaying nodes. After processing by the relaying node 506, the query message is rebroadcasted to another relaying node or to the replying node 508 (step 511). The processes of the replying node 508 are described with respect to FIG. 5C. After processing of the query message by the replying node 508, a reply message is generated and sent to the relaying node 506 (step 513) which routes the reply message either to another relaying node or to the querying node 502 (step 515) based on the route stored in the routing table 273.

At the querying node 502, the D2D radio layer 209 receives and acknowledges the reply message and forwards the reply message to the network layer 207 (step 517). The network layer 207 determines that the querying node 502 is the intended destination of the reply message by checking the DST field 294 in the network layer message header 281 and sends the message to the community layer 205 for processing (step 519). In case of a private community, the community layer 205 decrypts the reply message using the appropriate encryption keys stored in the community directory 243. Based on the information in the reply message, the community layer 205 updates information in the community directory 243 (list of active communities and the lists of visible members in the communities) and finally sends a service response to the query to the application 201 (step 521).

FIG. 5B is a ladder diagram that illustrates a sequence of messages and processes used in a replying node, according to an exemplary embodiment. A network process is represented by a thin vertical line. A step or message passed from one process to another is represented by horizontal arrows. A dashed horizontal arrow represents an optional step or message. The processes represented in FIG. 5B are the replying node 508 and the querying node 502. Within replying node 508, the following additional processes are represented: application 201, cognition layer 203, community layer 205, network layer 207, and D2D radio layer 209.

In step 561, the D2D radio layer 209 of the replying node 508 receives the query message and forwards it to the network layer 207 of the replying node 508. The network layer 207 may decide to rebroadcast the query message (step 563). On receipt, the network layer 207 forwards the query message to the community layer 205 (step 565).

If the community layer 205 determines that the query message contains one or more anonymized CIDs of the active communities associated with the replying node 508 and the query message contains encrypted user aliases, the community layer 205 decrypts the message and updates information in its community directory 243 (e.g., containing the list of active communities and the list of visible members of the communities). Next, the community layer 205 generates a reply message that contains the same CQID as the incoming query and has the source NID of the query message set as the destination NID of the reply message. If the query requests visible user aliases and the user alias in the node 508 is set as visible then the community layer 205 encrypts the user alias with the encryption keys associated with the community. The community layer 205 then retrieves a new anonymized CID from the community directory 243 and sends the reply message to the network layer 207 (step 567).

On receipt of the reply message, the network layer 207 assigns a new message sequence number (MSN) to the reply message, attaches the NID of the replying node 508 as the source and transmitter, finds the NID of the relaying node 506 for the next hop from the routing table 263, sets the receive NID of the reply message as the next hop and sends the reply message to the D2D radio layer 209 (step 569). The D2D radio layer 209 sends the reply message as a unicast message addressed to a relaying node 506 over the ad-hoc mesh network 109 (step 571).

FIGS. 6A-6B are diagrams of a user interface utilized in the process of locating communities over an ad-hoc mesh network, according to various exemplary embodiments. FIG. 6A depicts a user interface 600 listing community related information and commands for managing and accessing awareness information. For example, section 601 lists community members who are nearby the wireless node 101. The members may be from one or more different communities. Selecting a member enables a user to contact the member, view the status of the member, or access other applications or functions related to the user. Section 603 may display, for instance, status commands or prompts such as an invitation to join a particular community. User interface 600 also provides selectable menu options 605 to initiate additional commands. For example, selecting the option “Around Me” prompts the display of a map 607 with the locations of community members.

FIG. 6B depicts a user interface 620 for managing communities. For instance, section 621 displays currently defined communities with an option 623 to activate or deactivate each community individually. Users may also designate each community as either public or private using the control 625. Members of each community are displayed in section 627, along with controls 629 for adding or removing members.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a process for providing access for creating a community of mobile devices, according to an exemplary embodiment. In step 701, the communication network 103 provides access and support for creating a community of mobile devices for sharing awareness information over an ad-hoc mesh network 109. As part of the process of creating the community, the CIDs and associated keys corresponding to the community are provided community members. As described with respect to FIG. 4, the CIDs and associated keys are used to protect the privacy and anonymity of users of the ad-hoc mesh network 109. In exemplary embodiments, the CIDs and keys are shared using secure transmissions such short message service (SMS) and/or E-mail. In exemplary embodiment, these forms of communications are typically supported over the communication network 103. If a secure communication channel is available, the CIDs and associated keys may be shared over the ad-hoc mesh network 109 as well. It is contemplated that the communication network 103 works in conjunction with the ad-hoc mesh network 109 to provide sufficient network resources (e.g., bandwidth, etc.) to facilitate the creation to the community for sharing awareness information.

The processes described herein for locating communities over an ad-hoc mesh network 109 may be implemented via software, hardware (e.g., general processor, Digital Signal Processing (DSP) chip, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), etc.), firmware or a combination thereof. Such exemplary hardware for performing the described functions is detailed below.

FIG. 8 illustrates a computer system 800 upon which an embodiment of the invention may be implemented. Computer system 800 is programmed to provide a user interface as described herein and includes a communication mechanism such as a bus 810 for passing information between other internal and external components of the computer system 800. Information (also called data) is represented as a physical expression of a measurable phenomenon, typically electric voltages, but including, in other embodiments, such phenomena as magnetic, electromagnetic, pressure, chemical, biological, molecular, atomic, sub-atomic and quantum interactions. For example, north and south magnetic fields, or a zero and non-zero electric voltage, represent two states (0, 1) of a binary digit (bit). Other phenomena can represent digits of a higher base. A superposition of multiple simultaneous quantum states before measurement represents a quantum bit (qubit). A sequence of one or more digits constitutes digital data that is used to represent a number or code for a character. In some embodiments, information called analog data is represented by a near continuum of measurable values within a particular range.

A bus 810 includes one or more parallel conductors of information so that information is transferred quickly among devices coupled to the bus 810. One or more processors 802 for processing information are coupled with the bus 810.

A processor 802 performs a set of operations on information related to locating communities over an ad-hoc mesh network 109. The set of operations include bringing information in from the bus 810 and placing information on the bus 810. The set of operations also typically include comparing two or more units of information, shifting positions of units of information, and combining two or more units of information, such as by addition or multiplication or logical operations like OR, exclusive OR (XOR), and AND. Each operation of the set of operations that can be performed by the processor is represented to the processor by information called instructions, such as an operation code of one or more digits. A sequence of operations to be executed by the processor 802, such as a sequence of operation codes, constitute processor instructions, also called computer system instructions or, simply, computer instructions. Processors may be implemented as mechanical, electrical, magnetic, optical, chemical or quantum components, among others, alone or in combination.

Computer system 800 also includes a memory 804 coupled to bus 810. The memory 804, such as a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device, stores information including processor instructions for locating communities over an ad-hoc mesh network 109. Dynamic memory allows information stored therein to be changed by the computer system 800. RAM allows a unit of information stored at a location called a memory address to be stored and retrieved independently of information at neighboring addresses. The memory 804 is also used by the processor 802 to store temporary values during execution of processor instructions. The computer system 800 also includes a read only memory (ROM) 806 or other static storage device coupled to the bus 810 for storing static information, including instructions, that is not changed by the computer system 800. Some memory is composed of volatile storage that loses the information stored thereon when power is lost. Also coupled to bus 810 is a non-volatile (persistent) storage device 808, such as a magnetic disk, optical disk or flash card, for storing information, including instructions, that persists even when the computer system 800 is turned off or otherwise loses power.

Information, including instructions for locating communities over an ad-hoc mesh network 109, is provided to the bus 810 for use by the processor from an external input device 812, such as a keyboard containing alphanumeric keys operated by a human user, or a sensor. A sensor detects conditions in its vicinity and transforms those detections into physical expression compatible with the measurable phenomenon used to represent information in computer system 800. Other external devices coupled to bus 810, used primarily for interacting with humans, include a display device 814, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) or a liquid crystal display (LCD), or plasma screen or printer for presenting text or images, and a pointing device 816, such as a mouse or a trackball or cursor direction keys, or motion sensor, for controlling a position of a small cursor image presented on the display 814 and issuing commands associated with graphical elements presented on the display 814. In some embodiments, for example, in embodiments in which the computer system 800 performs all functions automatically without human input, one or more of external input device 812, display device 814 and pointing device 816 is omitted.

In the illustrated embodiment, special purpose hardware, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) 820, is coupled to bus 810. The special purpose hardware is configured to perform operations not performed by processor 802 quickly enough for special purposes. Examples of application specific ICs include graphics accelerator cards for generating images for display 814, cryptographic boards for encrypting and decrypting messages sent over a network, speech recognition, and interfaces to special external devices, such as robotic arms and medical scanning equipment that repeatedly perform some complex sequence of operations that are more efficiently implemented in hardware.

Computer system 800 also includes one or more instances of a communications interface 870 coupled to bus 810. Communication interface 870 provides a one-way or two-way communication coupling to a variety of external devices that operate with their own processors, such as printers, scanners and external disks. In general the coupling is with a network link 878 that is connected to a local network 880 to which a variety of external devices with their own processors are connected. For example, communication interface 870 may be a parallel port or a serial port or a universal serial bus (USB) port on a personal computer. In some embodiments, communications interface 870 is an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card or a digital subscriber line (DSL) card or a telephone modem that provides an information communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line. In some embodiments, a communication interface 870 is a cable modem that converts signals on bus 810 into signals for a communication connection over a coaxial cable or into optical signals for a communication connection over a fiber optic cable. As another example, communications interface 870 may be a local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a compatible LAN, such as Ethernet. Wireless links may also be implemented. For wireless links, the communications interface 870 sends or receives or both sends and receives electrical, acoustic or electromagnetic signals, including infrared and optical signals, that carry information streams, such as digital data. For example, in wireless handheld devices, such as mobile telephones like cell phones, the communications interface 870 includes a radio band electromagnetic transmitter and receiver called a radio transceiver. In exemplary embodiments, the communications interface 870 enables connection to the communication network 103 for locating communities over an ad-hoc mesh network 109.

The term computer-readable medium is used herein to refer to any medium that participates in providing information to processor 802, including instructions for execution. Such a medium may take many forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media and transmission media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as storage device 808. Volatile media include, for example, dynamic memory 804. Transmission media include, for example, coaxial cables, copper wire, fiber optic cables, and carrier waves that travel through space without wires or cables, such as acoustic waves and electromagnetic waves, including radio, optical and infrared waves. Signals include man-made transient variations in amplitude, frequency, phase, polarization or other physical properties transmitted through the transmission media. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, CDRW, DVD, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, optical mark sheets, any other physical medium with patterns of holes or other optically recognizable indicia, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave, or any other medium from which a computer can read.

FIG. 9 illustrates a chip set 900 upon which an embodiment of the invention may be implemented. Chip set 900 is programmed to provide awareness information over an ad-hoc mesh network 109 as described herein and includes, for instance, the processor and memory components described with respect to FIG. 9 incorporated in one or more physical packages. By way of example, a physical package includes an arrangement of one or more materials, components, and/or wires on a structural assembly (e.g., a baseboard) to provide one or more characteristics such as physical strength, conservation of size, and/or limitation of electrical interaction.

In one embodiment, the chip set 900 includes a communication mechanism such as a bus 901 for passing information among the components of the chip set 900. A processor 903 has connectivity to the bus 901 to execute instructions and process information stored in, for example, a memory 905. The processor 903 may include one or more processing cores with each core configured to perform independently. A multi-core processor enables multiprocessing within a single physical package. Examples of a multi-core processor include two, four, eight, or greater numbers of processing cores. Alternatively or in addition, the processor 903 may include one or more microprocessors configured in tandem via the bus 901 to enable independent execution of instructions, pipelining, and multithreading. The processor 903 may also be accompanied with one or more specialized components to perform certain processing functions and tasks such as one or more digital signal processors (DSP) 907, or one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) 909. A DSP 907 typically is configured to process real-world signals (e.g., sound) in real time independently of the processor 903. Similarly, an ASIC 909 can be configured to performed specialized functions not easily performed by a general purposed processor. Other specialized components to aid in performing the inventive functions described herein include one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) (not shown), one or more controllers (not shown), or one or more other special-purpose computer chips.

The processor 903 and accompanying components have connectivity to the memory 905 via the bus 901. The memory 905 includes both dynamic memory (e.g., RAM, magnetic disk, writable optical disk, etc.) and static memory (e.g., ROM, CD-ROM, etc.) for storing executable instructions that when executed perform the inventive steps described herein to provide awareness information over an ad-hoc mesh network 109. The memory 905 also stores the data associated with or generated by the execution of the inventive steps.

FIG. 10 is a diagram of exemplary components of a mobile station (e.g., handset) capable of operating in the system of FIG. 1, according to an exemplary embodiment. Generally, a radio receiver is often defined in terms of front-end and back-end characteristics. The front-end of the receiver encompasses all of the Radio Frequency (RF) circuitry whereas the back-end encompasses all of the base-band processing circuitry. Pertinent internal components of the telephone include a Main Control Unit (MCU) 1003, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) 1005, and a receiver/transmitter unit including a microphone gain control unit and a speaker gain control unit. A main display unit 1007 provides a display to the user in support of various applications and mobile station functions such as the awareness services module 111. An audio function circuitry 1009 includes a microphone 1011 and microphone amplifier that amplifies the speech signal output from the microphone 1011. The amplified speech signal output from the microphone 1011 is fed to a coder/decoder (CODEC) 1013.

A radio section 1015 amplifies power and converts frequency in order to communicate with a base station, which is included in a mobile communication system, via antenna 1017. The power amplifier (PA) 1019 and the transmitter/modulation circuitry are operationally responsive to the MCU 1003, with an output from the PA 1019 coupled to the duplexer 1021 or circulator or antenna switch, as known in the art. The PA 1019 also couples to a battery interface and power control unit 1020.

In use, a user of mobile station 1001 speaks into the microphone 1011 and his or her voice along with any detected background noise is converted into an analog voltage. The analog voltage is then converted into a digital signal through the Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) 1023. The control unit 1003 routes the digital signal into the DSP 1005 for processing therein, such as speech encoding, channel encoding, encrypting, and interleaving. In the exemplary embodiment, the processed voice signals are encoded, by units not separately shown, using a cellular transmission protocol such as global evolution (EDGE), general packet radio service (GPRS), global system for mobile communications (GSM), Internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS), universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), etc., as well as any other suitable wireless medium, e.g., microwave access (WiMAX), Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, code division multiple access (CDMA), wireless fidelity (WiFi), satellite, and the like.

The encoded signals are then routed to an equalizer 1025 for compensation of any frequency-dependent impairments that occur during transmission though the air such as phase and amplitude distortion. After equalizing the bit stream, the modulator 1027 combines the signal with a RF signal generated in the RF interface 1029. The modulator 1027 generates a sine wave by way of frequency or phase modulation. In order to prepare the signal for transmission, an up-converter 1031 combines the sine wave output from the modulator 1027 with another sine wave generated by a synthesizer 1033 to achieve the desired frequency of transmission. The signal is then sent through a PA 1019 to increase the signal to an appropriate power level. In practical systems, the PA 1019 acts as a variable gain amplifier whose gain is controlled by the DSP 1005 from information received from a network base station. The signal is then filtered within the duplexer 1021 and optionally sent to an antenna coupler 1035 to match impedances to provide maximum power transfer. Finally, the signal is transmitted via antenna 1017 to a local base station. An automatic gain control (AGC) can be supplied to control the gain of the final stages of the receiver. The signals may be forwarded from there to a remote telephone which may be another cellular telephone, other mobile phone or a land-line connected to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), or other telephony networks.

Voice signals transmitted to the mobile station 1001 are received via antenna 1017 and immediately amplified by a low noise amplifier (LNA) 1037. A down-converter 1039 lowers the carrier frequency while the demodulator 1041 strips away the RF leaving only a digital bit stream. The signal then goes through the equalizer 1025 and is processed by the DSP 1005. A Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) 1043 converts the signal and the resulting output is transmitted to the user through the speaker 1045, all under control of a Main Control Unit (MCU) 1003—which can be implemented as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) (not shown).

The MCU 1003 receives various signals including input signals from the keyboard 1047. The keyboard 1047 and/or the MCU 1003 in combination with other user input components (e.g., the microphone 1011) comprise a user interface circuitry for managing user input. The MCU 1003 runs a user interface software to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile station 1001. The MCU 1003 also delivers a display command and a switch command to the display 1007 and to the speech output switching controller, respectively. Further, the MCU 1003 exchanges information with the DSP 1005 and can access an optionally incorporated SIM card 1049 and a memory 1051. In addition, the MCU 1003 executes various control functions required of the station. The DSP 1005 may, depending upon the implementation, perform any of a variety of conventional digital processing functions on the voice signals. Additionally, DSP 1005 determines the background noise level of the local environment from the signals detected by microphone 1011 and sets the gain of microphone 1011 to a level selected to compensate for the natural tendency of the user of the mobile station 1001.

The CODEC 1013 includes the ADC 1023 and DAC 1043. The memory 1051 stores various data including call incoming tone data and is capable of storing other data including music data received via, e.g., the global Internet. The software module could reside in RAM memory, flash memory, registers, or any other form of writable storage medium known in the art. The memory device 1051 may be, but not limited to, a single memory, CD, DVD, ROM, RAM, EEPROM, optical storage, or any other non-volatile storage medium capable of storing digital data.

An optionally incorporated SIM card 1049 carries, for instance, important information, such as the cellular phone number, the carrier supplying service, subscription details, and security information. The SIM card 1049 serves primarily to identify the mobile station 1001 on a radio network. The card 1049 also contains a memory for storing a personal telephone number registry, text messages, and user specific mobile station settings.

While the invention has been described in connection with a number of embodiments and implementations, the invention is not so limited but covers various obvious modifications and equivalent arrangements, which fall within the purview of the appended claims. Although features of the invention are expressed in certain combinations among the claims, it is contemplated that these features can be arranged in any combination and order. 

1. A method comprising: identifying a community of a plurality of wireless nodes using a community identifier corresponding to the community, wherein the community is active among one or more neighboring wireless nodes over an ad-hoc mesh network; and updating a list of active communities based on the identification.
 2. A method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a message directed to the community from a neighboring wireless node; determining whether a receiving wireless node is a member of the community; identifying the community as an active community if the receiving node is a member of the community; and updating the list of active communities based on the identification.
 3. A method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving input requesting a search for the community; retrieving a community identifier corresponding to the community; generating a community search message containing a community query identifier and the community identifier; initiating transmission of the community search message to one or more neighboring wireless nodes, wherein each neighboring wireless node that is associated with the community identifier automatically replies to the community search message; identifying the community as an active community if at least one reply is received in response to the community search message; and updating the list of active communities based on the identification.
 4. A method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving input requesting a search for one or more members of the community; retrieving a community identifier corresponding to the community; generating a member search message containing a community query identifier and the community identifier; initiating transmission of the member search message to one or more neighboring wireless nodes, wherein each neighboring wireless node that is visible and that is associated with the community identifier automatically replies to the member search message; updating a list of visible community members based on one or more replies to the member search message; identifying the community as an active community if at least one reply is received in response to the member search message; and updating the list of active communities based on the identification.
 5. A method of claim 4, wherein the community is set to a visible state in which members of the community are visible, and the method further comprising: retrieving an alias corresponding to a member of the community; and including the user alias in the member search message, wherein a neighboring wireless node corresponding to the user alias automatically replies to the member search message.
 6. A method of claim 1, further comprising: monitoring for one or more messages related to the community over a predetermined period of time; designating the community as an inactive community if no messages related to the community are observed during the predetermined period of time; and updating the list of active communities based on the designation.
 7. A method of claim 1, further comprising: anonymizing the community identifier in one or more messages directed to the community; and encrypting information related to an identity of a member of the community in one or more messages directed to the community.
 8. A method of claim 1, wherein a wireless node joins the community by receiving, over a secure communication channel, the community identifier and a corresponding authentication key and storing the received community identifier and the corresponding authentication key in a community directory within the wireless node.
 9. A method of claim 1, wherein the community is specific to a first wireless node and a second wireless and represents a bond between the first wireless node and the second wireless node, and wherein the community is created by exchanging the community identifier and the corresponding authentication key between the first wireless node and the second wireless.
 10. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following, identify a community of a plurality of wireless nodes using a community identifier corresponding to the community, wherein the community is active among one or more neighboring wireless nodes over an ad-hoc mesh network, and update a list of active communities based on the identification.
 11. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to: receive a message directed to the community from a neighboring wireless node; determine whether a receiving wireless node is a member of the community; identify the community as an active community if the receiving node is a member of the community; and update the list of active communities based on the identification.
 12. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to: receive input requesting a search for the community; retrieve a community identifier corresponding to the community; generate a community search message containing the community identifier; initiate transmission of the community search message to one or more neighboring wireless nodes, wherein each neighboring wireless node that is associated with the community identifier automatically replies to the community search message; identify the community as an active community if at least one reply is received in response to the community search message; and update the list of active communities based on the identification.
 13. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to: receive input requesting a search for one or more members of the community; retrieve a community identifier corresponding to the community; generate a member search message containing the community identifier; initiate transmission of the member search message to one or more neighboring wireless nodes, wherein each neighboring wireless node that is visible and that is associated with the community identifier automatically replies to the member search message; update a list of visible community members based on one or more replies to the member search message; identify the community as an active community if at least one reply is received in response to the member search message; and update the list of active communities based on the identification.
 14. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the community is set to a visible state in which members of the community are visible, and the apparatus is further caused to: retrieve an alias corresponding to a member of the community; and include the user alias in the member search message, wherein a neighboring wireless node corresponding to the user alias automatically replies to the member search message.
 15. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to: monitor for one or more messages related to the community over a predetermined period of time; designate the community as an inactive community if no messages related to the community are observed during the predetermined period of time; and update the list of active communities based on the designation.
 16. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to: anonymize the community identifier in one or more messages directed to the community; and encrypt information related to an identity of a member of the community in one or more messages directed to the community.
 17. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein a wireless node joins the community by receiving, over a secure communication channel, the community identifier and a corresponding authentication key and storing the received community identifier and the corresponding authentication key in a community directory within the wireless node.
 18. An apparatus of claim 17, wherein the community is specific to a first wireless node and a second wireless and represents a bond between the first wireless node and the second wireless node, and wherein the community is created by exchanging the community identifier and the corresponding authentication key between the first wireless node and the second wireless.
 19. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is a mobile phone further comprising: user interface circuitry and user interface software configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone through use of a display and configured to respond to user input; and a display and display circuitry configured to display at least a portion of a user interface of the mobile phone, the display and display circuitry configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone.
 20. An apparatus of claim 19, wherein the mobile phone includes a radio for device-to-device communication. 